Surgical navigation systems using computers and monitors that register the locations of surgical instrument in relation to the patient are known in the art. An article titled “Basic research and 12 years of clinical experience in computer-assisted navigation technology: a review” by R. Ewers, et al. shows a setup for operating on a dental patient using an infrared camera to monitor tracking sensors attached to a surgical instrument and the head of the patient. Fiducial markers are placed on the patient before the CT scan is made. The tracking system picks up the positions of the patient and the surgical instrument and transfers them to a computer for registration.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art template 200 for use in dental implant surgery. Reference ceramic balls 202 are positioned over the desired positions for the implants. The balls are held in position for the scan by the vacuum formed template. FIG. 2 shows another prior art vacuum formed template 204 with pins 206 representing the proposed implant locations held in place at the desired locations. The x-ray or CT scan is then made and the results are used for planning purposes with respect to bone availability and mucosal thickness. The exact implant positions, diameters, and lengths can be determined. The templates are then removed for any actual oral surgery. No real time review and planning is possible using these fixtures.
A system for registering scans of the head and display of instruments on the scans in real time would be an advantage to oral and other surgeons.